The invention relates generally to wagon type vehicles and, in particular, to a children""s wagon having interchangeable side wall panels to change the assembly by making those sides an integral part of the wagon assembly and providing an ornamental appearance for the wagon while improving stability and safety of the cargo compartment.
A standard children""s wagon generally consists of a wagon body having a horizontally disposed surface for supporting a child or cargo and upstanding front, rear and side panels formed around the periphery of this surface. The wagon body is mounted on a chassis which usually includes wheels and a handle for pulling and steering the wagon. In the past, the traditional wagon bodies have been formed of wood, metal, plastic, or combinations thereof. Usually the peripheral walls are a permanent part of the wagon body. Additional wall sections, if added, are attached to the floor or wall through the use of fasteners, glue, welds or friction fit guides. This arrangement provides a more or less permanent configuration of the traditional wagon body.
Generally, in traditional coaster wagons, the side panels have a low profile. If a child is riding in the wagon, the low profile walls can present a risk of falling out of the wagon. Recently, children""s wagon bodies have been made from molded plastic, such as from a high-density polyethylene or some similar material, with some designs having higher walls or somewhat deeper cargo compartments. This plastic material may be utilized for forming wagon bodies of strong but lightweight construction. These wagons, as well the traditional coaster wagons, usually have one external design or appearance.
Wagon-type vehicles with decorative mockage or camouflage have been known to the art. However, these mockages and camouflage bodies are not not rigidly or safely attached to the wagon chassis, nor are these bodies an integral part of the wagon body. They are precariously balanced or lightly clipped to the chassis. In those wagon configurations, shifting cargo, or especially a riding child, easily can disconnect the decorative walls from the chassis, rendering the wagon configuration unsafe. Other designs having more or less permanent bodies or side walls, while making the configuration somewhat safer for hauling cargo, be it human or inanimate, provide a device that is difficult or impossible to alter or modify if the user wishes to change the assembly or look or change the capacity of the cargo area.
Improvements in upward wall extensions for wagon bodies are always desirable which would be considered safer by design. It would be advantageous, therefore, to have a wagon that has a body securely, but removeably mounted on a wheeled chassis with a generally deep cargo or passenger compartment. Also, it would be advantageous to have such a wagon in which the walls of the wagon body are interchangeable to allow variation of the configurations or look of the wagon as well as the cargo capacity. It is desirable to have a wagon in which the outward appearance can be changed to that of another vehicle for aesthetic and amusement purposes.
Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a wagon that has side panels which are an integral part of the wagon assembly, yet which are removable side panels that can be easily replaced to change the external appearance of the wagon. Another object is to provide such a wagon that is of sturdy construction and safe for hauling human or inanimate cargo.
In accordance with the invention, briefly stated, a children""s wagon of the present invention comprises a vehicle that is comprised of a wheeled chassis that supports a wagon body. The wagon body has a floor, front and back walls and opposed side panels that define a cargo or passenger space. The side panels can be easily changed to create a different outward appearance. For example, interchangeable side panels are provided to change the look of the wagon from one type of common vehicle to another type of vehicle, or even animals or bugs, for aesthetic and amusement purposes. Although removable, the side panels are an integral part of the wagon assembly, attached to the wagon in a secure manner providing an entertaining and aesthetically pleasing wagon that is safe for its intended use.
In the preferred embodiment, this convertible wagon vehicle has a cargo or passenger compartment, or wagon body, mounted on a four wheeled chassis. The wagon body consists of a floor with two opposed end walls and two opposed and matching side panels. The side panels are removably attached to the side edges of the floor of the wagon by easy to manipulate, fasteners. In one aspect of the invention, the fasteners include internally threaded inserts mounted in, and extending out of, the edge of the floor. Openings or holes in the side panels fit over the inserts to position the panel in place. A knob, having an externally threaded stem, is threadedly engaged in the insert and tightened until the wall panel is secured. Other, easily manipulated fasteners may be employed. However, the knobs generally are positioned out of reach of a typical child who would occupy the wagon.
Each set of matching side panels is designed to resemble the external appearance of a common vehicle or other object. For example, the side panels can be configured to give the wagon the external appearance of a fire truck, a passenger car, a steam locomotive, a school bus, a boat, a rocket ship or any other vehicle. The panels can be configured to provide the ornamental appearance of an animal, bug or the like. In any event, the conversion from one set of side panels to another is achieved by the removal of the threaded knobs followed by replacement of the side panels. The side panels and the fasteners are configured for fast and simple conversion. The convertible feature of this wagon allows for children, or adults, to choose a side panel set and to convert the wagon assembly to that of a different vehicle or object through the substitution of the side panels.